/oss/taxonomy/term/6029/all en /oss/article/pseudoscience/netflixs-afterlife-show-dead-arrival <p>It was the psychomanteum that broke me. In episode 5 of Netflix’s <i>Life After Death with Tyler Henry</i>, the self-professed California medium asks his dad to build him a “psychomanteum.” He explains it’s a practice that dates back to Ancient Greece. What it ends up being is a room in Henry’s house, painted the colour of <i>Doctor Who’s </i>TARDIS, with the pencil scribbles he does to meditate hung up in black frames and acting like windows. Inside the dark room, Henry spends an hour looking into a mirror that’s angled away from him, trying to get impressions from the afterlife.</p> Sat, 19 Mar 2022 08:00:00 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 9052 at /oss /oss/article/pseudoscience/evil-eye <p>I must admit I’m not sure if the woman is just an intellectual simpleton or a clever charlatan preying on the gullible.  I suspect the former.  In any case, here is the story.  Upon invitation, and for a fee, this peculiar character travels from the Middle East to North America to rid people of the effects of the Evil Eye.  Evil what, you ask?  As featured in many cultures, the Evil Eye is a look directed at some unfortunate person, resulting in bad luck or outright harm.  The perpetrator is usually believed to possess some sort of supernatural power, although in some cultures an envious pe</p> Fri, 04 Feb 2022 21:47:02 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9017 at /oss